The Brickhall School, Abuja on Wednesday announced suspension of classes for a week to mourn the memory of its late four-year-old pupil, Miguel Ovoke.
Recall that the death certificate issued by Excel Specialist Hospital, Abuja, stated that Ovoke was brought to the hospital by his teachers around in an unconscious state.
The medical report, signed by Dr. Akinwande Ajayi, on behalf of the medical director, indicated that he was brought in, “on account of aspiration on meat while feeding at school.”
The hospital said upon examination, the medical team found that the boy’s pupils were fixed and dilated, with a nonreactive response to light.
“His peripheral pulses were said to be “impalpable, blood pressure was unrecordable, and there was no cardiopulmonary activity or respiratory excursions, silent chest,” the report said.
It added that all efforts of the medical team to resuscitate him failed as he was “Brought in Dead.”
The mother of the late four-year-old had, however, accused the school authorities of covering up the incident, which led to the death of their late pupil.
The school, in a statement released on Wednesday and signed by its management, said it was greatly saddened that the life of the pupil could not be saved despite the timely response of its trained nurse and the eventual decision to rush him to a hospital.
“It is with profound sorrow and deepest sympathy that we at Brickhall School, Management, and the Parents Teachers Forum express our heartfelt condolences to the family of our dearly beloved pupil, Miguel Ovoke.
“We are devastated to report that Miguel tragically passed away on April 24, 2024, following a sad incident where he choked on a piece of meat offal from his meal brought from home, despite the immediate and expert care provided by our dedicated staff and certified school nurse.
“In response to this heart-wrenching event, we convened an urgent meeting with our school community on the day of the incident.
“Out of respect for Miguel’s memory and to honour his bright spirit, we suspended classes for over a week, allowing our community time to mourn and reflect on this profound loss,” it said.